Exclusive: Nacho Monreal reacts to Arsenal’s Premier League triumph

After an agonising 22-year wait, Arsenal are finally champions of England again. Bournemouth’s draw with Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium this Tuesday confirmed Mikel Arteta’s Gunners as the champions of the 2025-26 Premier League season, and Arsenal fans around the world erupted in celebration.

We got to speak to Nacho Monreal, who was over the moon for his former club. The ex-Arsenal and Spain defender, who spent six and a half years at the club between 2013 and 2019, reflected on what the moment means, how Mikel Arteta has transformed the club, and why the critics who questioned Arsenal's methods throughout the season can now be roundly ignored.

"Once a Gunner, always a Gunner"

Monreal was part of the Arsenal side that ended a nine-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup in 2014, a moment that meant everything to the club at the time. He knows better than most what silverware means to this fanbase, and the emotion in his words when speaking about Tuesday's title confirmation was clear.

“I remember when we won the FA Cup in 2014, the fans and their support was unbelievable because it had been a long time since the club's last trophy. It was something crazy.”

“I remember when I left Arsenal, the fans were demanding a bit more. They wanted the Premier League and finally this season, they're champions again. I guess every Arsenal fan, today, 20th of May, 2026, will remember this as one of the best days of their life.”

The personal connection runs deep. Monreal may have left North London seven years ago, but he made it clear that his ties to the club remain as strong as ever.

“I am really, really happy. I am so happy for the club and the fans. I know the club very well and I know what it means for the fans. It is a lovely club. What Arteta has been doing is amazing. I played at Arsenal for over six and a half years and we fought for the title, but we couldn't get it.”

“Finally, they made it now. Once a Gunner, always a Gunner. This is my club. I know I am not a part of the club now, but I feel like a part of the club. Mikel Arteta is my friend and I made a lot of friends playing there. Only love for Arsenal.”

Arteta's evolution as a manager

Arteta was appointed Arsenal manager in December 2019 and helped stabilise a club that was struggling on multiple fronts. Arteta’s impact wasn’t immediate, as the club had two successive eighth-place finishes in the league, followed by a fifth-place finish in the 2021-22 season. After three consecutive second-place finishes (from 2022-23 to 2024-25), Arteta was finally able to lead Arsenal to the promised land.

For Monreal, that journey has been defined by continuous growth, and he has watched it unfold closely, given his personal friendship with the Arsenal head coach.

“In my opinion, he's been very different as Arsenal's head coach than when he was working as an assistant for Man City. In the last six years I think Mikel Arteta has improved a lot. Gained a lot of experience, year after year.”

“When he arrived, he inherited a team that he then had to remake. After six years, every single player in the squad has been selected for Mikel.”

“So, in my opinion, experience, knowledge about the league, knowledge about his players has made the difference, and that is why they're champions!”

The push for silverware doesn’t end here, either, with Arsenal taking on PSG in the Champions League final next weekend - and if you so desire, you can back Mikel’s men by using our bet365 bonus code.

Set pieces, mentality and the small details

Arsenal’s set-piece prowess has been a key strength for them this season. The Gunners have amassed 28 set-piece goals across 37 league matches. It is a statistic that has drawn widespread debate throughout the season, but for Monreal, it is simply evidence of a team exploiting every available advantage.

“This season there's been a lot of discourse about Arsenal scoring set-piece goals. I think that has made a huge difference. In football the margins are very small. The small details make the difference and Arsenal have gotten a lot of points throughout the season via set-pieces.”

“They played so well in previous seasons and continued it this season. The biggest difference has been the goals and the points that have come from set-pieces.”

Beyond tactics, Monreal pointed to the mental fortitude that has defined Arsenal's run to the title. Declan Rice became one of the defining voices of Arsenal's mentality this season, most memorably when he was caught on camera telling Martin Ødegaard "it's not done" on the pitch immediately after Arsenal's defeat to Manchester City, a rallying cry that captured the dressing room's refusal to concede the title race.

“The mentality too. I remember Declan Rice saying 'it's not done'. I know Mikel has a strong character and strong mentality and I see it in the players. I think one of the best things he has done is transmit his strong mentality, his winning mentality to his players.”

“You need to be strong because the season is so hard. There will be difficult moments during the season but the Arsenal mentality has been very consistent from the first game to the last.”

"We don't need to listen to the haters"

Throughout the season, Arsenal's reliance on set pieces drew criticism from pundits and rival supporters who questioned whether it represented a legitimate route to the title. For Monreal, the criticism is unfair, and the comparison with Arsene Wenger's era cuts to the heart of the debate.

“I think it's completely unfair and I think there are haters everywhere. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, there will be haters.”

“In my opinion, Arsenal has been the best team in the Premier League from the first game until today. They were very consistent, very strong physically.”

“When I was playing for Arsenal under Wenger, we were criticised for not being strong enough or we didn't play so well. But the truth is that now Arsenal is a strong team with a strong mentality. They are the best at set-pieces, they are the best at defending, the best in attack. That's why they won the Premier League.”

“We don't need to listen to the haters. It's time to celebrate!”

Arsenal are set to lift the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park this weekend before heading to Budapest for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. That will be followed by a title parade on the 31st of May.

For Nacho Monreal, watching from afar, the moment carries the full weight of everything the club has been building towards for more than two decades.

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